Preservatives and Caffeine
by Love-in-the-Stars
Summary: Tremors 2: Grady and Burt get to know each other. Slash/Yaoi. Don't like, don't Read.


Halla!!

It's me, FireHawk!! ^.^ And this is just a little one-shot that was birthed in my mind while watching Tremors 2 and I just had to write. So, I figured if I had the time I'd throw it out here for any Tremors fans to read. I know there's not much in the way of these fics so I'm glad to contribute! I hope you enjoy, if anyone even reads this, and I only ask that if you do to drop me a review and tell me what you thought of it. Okay? Awesome, sooo, yah, here it is! Oh, crap, I almost forgot. WARNING: This is a yaoi/slash ficcie with Grady/Burt. Don't like it then don't read, though I don't get into specifics.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Tremors and never will.

_**Preservatives and Caffeine **_

The night was cool and refreshing but dark, and Grady was nervous to be sitting outside alone. But it was better then staying inside and watching Earl and Kate flirting, which was sickening, at least to him. They were a romantic's match made in heaven but it was the last thing he wanted to be facing. Besides, if any of those Graboid monsters showed up they'd be spotted on the seismograph first but he still felt uneasy.

Grady stood up from the porch step and absently brushed off his ass. And he was bored. The night was still young but he had absolutely fuck all to do. Shoving his hands into his pockets Grady wandered beyond the office behind him and was passing the garage when he saw a light. He stopped and headed for it, hoping that there would be a human near that light. Stepping inside he saw that the light came from Burt's army issue truck and he hesitated. While he may have been bored he wasn't sure if he was desperate enough to bug a man with a short fuse and an even shorter temper. Grady looked down at his watch and noted the time, 8:15, that his sanity packed its bags. With a shrug he approached the truck cab where Burt sat with a laptop.

"Hey." He said lightly, smiling.

Burt looked up at him and right back away again, "What?"

Grady's smile faltered for a moment, "Nothing, just bored."

A grunt was his only response and Grady leaned against the truck next to the open door, determined to wait this man out. Minutes ticked by until Grady finally spoke again, "Why did you come to help?" he asked thoughtfully.

"What business of it is yours?" Burt growled.

Grady shrugged, "None, I was just curious if you really are crazy."

The veteran chuckled, "That same question could be applied to you."

"Yeah…but I'm here 'cause I need the money, which is something I don't think you lack."

"You're correct with that aspect."

"Then why are you here?" Grady asked again, mildly surprised he'd gotten the man to talk.

"To kill worm ass."

"Ah," Grady nodded as if that made perfect sense, "So you are crazy."

Burt shrugged, "If that's what you want to call it."

Silence fell again and Grady was just about to leave when Burt said something surprising, "Is it really just the money you need?"

Grady's response was slow in coming, "No, but I do have debts to be paid." That said he pushed off the truck and walked away, aware of Burt's eyes on his back.

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"Fuck me." He muttered darkly, staring down at the numbers before him. Despite the many Graboids they'd killed he still didn't have enough money, but he was getting there and this was already more cash then he'd ever earned. Grady pushed the papers and calculator aside and stood up from his bed with a sigh. He grabbed a glass off a nearby table and left his room to head for the kitchen. Noticing that it was nearly 10:00 he wondered if Earl and Kate were still in the office.

'Guess not.' Grady thought when he walked into the kitchen and saw Earl sitting at the table with a beer. "Hey, where's Kate?" He asked cheerfully.

"Still staring at those damn rocks."

"And you're not there staring at her?"

Earl glared at him and Grady smiled innocently, "What?"

"I'm going to bed." He growled, getting up to grab another bottle and stalked out. Grady rolled his eyes, "What a bunch of stiffs."

He opened the refrigerator to peer inside for something to drink and pulled out a bottle of cheap soda. Setting his glass on the table, Grady twisted the cap off and made a face at the lack of fizz. "Flat shit!" he grumbled but poured a full glass. Putting back the bottle, he closed the door and turned around, "God damn it, Burt!" he nearly screamed at the man standing behind him with a vaguely amused look. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Burt moved away toward the coffee maker with a chuckle as Grady calmed his breathing and plopped down at the table.

"It's hardly my fault that you're so unobservant with you're surroundings."

"Whatever."

Burt shook the coffee maker and frowned, "Where do they keep the coffee around here?"

"No idea." Grady said truthfully, watching as the older man began rummaging through the cupboards.

"Well, do you at least know what time we're heading out tomorrow?"

"The morning."

"No shit?"

Grady laughed and decided to get something to eat. He stood and retrieved a can of spaghetti-os he'd seen earlier to heat up. Burt looked at his food of choice and sighed, "Once again, do you have any idea how many preservatives they put in food like that?"

Grady paused, can opener in one hand, to blink at him, "No, but I like these."

"Where are those MRE's I gave you?"

"Oh, I ate those earlier."

"Well, I have a bunch if you want a few."

Grady grinned, "No offense, Burt, but I'll stick to the stuff that doesn't taste like cardboard."

"Suit yourself." Burt said with a shrug, finally finding the coffee.

Grady dumped the can into a bowl and stuck it into the microwave for a minute and a half. He stood there, tapping his foot and watching as Burt measured out coffee grounds. On a whim he said, "You know, I heard coffee is bad for you. Something about all the unnecessary caffeine or some such."

Burt rolled his eyes, "Do you believe everything you're told?"

"No more then you."

"Hmph."

Grady laughed to himself and the microwave dinged. He took out his bowl and set again at the table. Burt sat across from him and the only sounds were those of the coffee maker.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Burt asked suddenly.

Grady blinked, spoon half way to his mouth, "What?"

"Your family, parents or anybody know you're here?"

He slowly shook his head, "Ah, no. My parents are dead."

Burt nodded, "What about a girlfriend?"

"If I had a girlfriend do you really think I'd be here?" he said with a snort of derision.

"No." he murmured thoughtfully, "I suppose not."

"What about you?" Grady asked, "How did your wife agree to this?'

Burt shrugged, "She didn't, we broke up."

"Oh, sorry man."

He waved the apology off, "Earlier you said you were here to pay off debts, what did you mean?"

Grady raised an eyebrow, "I have bills that need paying."

"Bills that require so much money you have to go kill pre-Cambrian life forms?" Burt said skeptically, "I mean you're what, 25? What kind of bills demand that? Are you involved with the Mafia or something?"

Grady laughed, "No, nothing so dramatic."

"Well, what then?"

The younger man stared down at his spoon ad turned it a few times, "Why are you asking me this?"

"I get why Earl's here and I know why I'm here, however, I don't get why you're here."

"You have to know everything, huh?"

Burt shrugged, "I like to stay informed, it allows for less surprises."

"You don't like surprises?" Grady asked absently.

"They're unpleasant."

A silence followed as Burt waited for the answer to his question. Finally, Grady quit staring at his spoon and lifted one shoulder, "I made a promise to the family of someone very important to me."

"Which was?"

Grady's eyes narrowed on him, "I don't even know you to be telling you anything."

"Are you afraid I'll judge you?"

"Hardly. But I know you'll pity me and I can stand it when people do that."

Burt snorted, "Really, pity isn't exactly an emotion I dwell on."

"Fine." Grady sighed, "It's like this. Three years ago I fell in love…with a guy."

"You're gay?"

"Are you surprised?" he said dryly.

"No, I guess not."

"Anyway, he was a military guy, very hot in uniform I must say and he'd been in the service for a year before they gave him leave to come back home." Grady paused here to finger the single dog tag hanging around his neck and several things began to click for Burt.

"That was his."

"Yeah, so you've guessed that he died."

"Pretty much."

"Well, it's not that simple. I mean, he didn't even have the 'honor' of dying for his country. Instead, I killed him."

Now that caught Burt's attention.

"Not as in murder but it was my fault." Grady scraped at the inside of his empty bowl listlessly. "We were driving home from the welcome home party and he was telling me about everything that had happened and I wasn't paying attention to the road. I ran a red light and we were hit by a truck, a normal ford truck, but it was on the passenger side, his side." Silence grew as he let that sink in before continuing, "They spent nearly 12 hours working on him in surgery, then he stabilized enough for the ICU but he never woke up and they had to announce him comatose and brain dead. The family knew that they had to let him go so they stopped life support and he died two days after the accident. His family was great to me, somehow they didn't blame me, it almost would have been easier if they had. The hospital bills left over were enormous and the military would not cover for any of it since it wasn't while in service. They couldn't afford to pay them, not with the funeral too, so I promised that I would, as partial retribution. That's why I'm here."

"So, you're risking your life for atonement." Burt paused thoughtfully, "Do you think you deserve death?"

Grady raised an eyebrow, "Deserve? Whether or not someone deserves to die has no relevance on if they do. If it did then he would not have died, after all, he was doing more for our country then me."

"So, you don't think things happen for a reason?"

"Of course not, are saying you do?"

"No." Burt said mildly, "How long ago was this?"

"Just last year." Grady stood up to wash his bowl out in the sink and tapped the coffee maker. "Your coffee is done."

But Burt didn't move, his grey eyes locked on him as Grady turned to look, "What?"

The ex-soldier stood and Grady leaned against the counter, watching him approach with a glint in his eyes. Burt stopped scarcely inches in front of him and Grady tilted his head up to meet his eyes and subconsciously licked his lips. Eyes darkening, Burt leaned down swiftly and kissed him. It was firm and Grady's mouth opened willingly to him, granting access to the wet cavern that tasted distinctly of spagetteos. Burt stroked the roof of his mouth and their tongues slid together, dueling for control before Grady caved and Burt pulled back just enough to suck on the other's lower lip teasingly. They parted with a wet noise and Grady opened eyes that had closed without his consent.

"What was that?" he asked breathlessly.

Burt smirked, "Don't you know? It was kiss."

"I thought so." Grady wiggled forward and stared narrow eyed at him, "So now what are you going to do?"

Burt growled deeply, "Do you really want me to tell you?"

"Hmmm, why don't you _show_ me." He murmured in reply, eyes bright. Grabbing him by the hips, Burt lifted Grady onto the counter and kissed him roughly again as the younger man looped his arms behind his neck. Grady pulled away to whisper huskily into his ear. "We should probably take this to one of our rooms before Earl or Kate catches us like this."

Needing no further urging Burt pulled him off the counter and Grady wrapped his legs around his waist as they crossed the kitchen.

"Wait! What about your coffee?" Grady said suddenly.

Burt snorted and squeezed his ass, "Leave it, I don't need it. Besides, that stuff has unnecessary caffeine."

Grady purred a laugh and licked his ear, "Sounds familiar."

They scooted down the hall but paused at Burt's door while he fumbled with the lock, Grady's back pressed against the door. "Hurry. And who locks their door just to go get coffee?"

Burt cursed him softly, "Shut up and put that mouth to better use."

"Yes sir!" Grady smirked as he latched said mouth onto his neck and Burt shivered. Finally the door clicked open and they stumbled through. Burt gasped when Grady ground their hips together and missed a step. With a growl he kicked the door closed behind them and Grady's laughter drifted through it, a breathless sound that was cut off suddenly with a gasp.

One of the doors down the hall opened and Earl stuck his head out, "It that what I think it is?"

Behind him Kate laughed, "Yeah, I think it's great. Burt's getting over his wife and Grady acts happy but I don't think he is. Those two can help each other, you know?"

Earl shook his head with a sigh, "Maybe, but I never would have thought…"

"Really? It must be a guy thing."

He glared at her and Kate patted the bed, "Oh, quit scowling and get over here."

Earl rolled his eyes and pulled the door closed. Outside a coyote howled to the moon and this time it lived.

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A/N: Well, that was it. Hope you liked it ^.^ and please drop me a review!!!!


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